The Kenyatta National Hospital is facing heavy public attention after a woman came forward claiming that her transplanted kidney was removed under suspicious circumstances.
The patient said the organ had been donated by her brother, and after the incident, she filed a police report at the Capitol Hill Police Station in Nairobi.
She accused the hospital of failing to explain exactly what had happened, leading her family to demand answers.
This sparked public outrage, with many Kenyans expressing concern over how such a case could occur in the country’s largest referral hospital. In response, KNH issued a detailed statement explaining its side of the story.
According to the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, William Sigilai, the procedure was conducted following all required protocols and the loss of the kidney was due to a rare but known medical complication.
He outlined the patient’s history, the transplant process, and the events that led to the removal of the organ in February 2025. KNH explained that the patient had been diagnosed with kidney failure in 2022 and was undergoing regular dialysis at another facility.
In August 2024, she visited KNH’s transplant clinic with her brother, who had agreed to donate his kidney.
Both underwent counselling and thorough medical examinations by a multidisciplinary team. By February 12, 2025, all preparations had been completed and the two were admitted for the transplant surgery.
The operation went ahead as planned, but after the kidney was implanted, it failed to function. Tests revealed that blood flow to the organ was reduced, and the surgical team determined it was no longer viable. To protect the patient from further harm, they decided to remove it immediately.
The hospital later confirmed that laboratory tests showed a blood clot in the kidney, which is a recognized but uncommon risk in such operations.
KNH emphasized that in the 2024/2025 financial year, it had carried out 22 kidney transplants, with 21 of them successful. The patient was discharged on March 5, 2025, and advised to resume dialysis.
She returned to the clinic on March 11 for follow-up care and further guidance. Despite this, she and her family remained unconvinced by the hospital’s explanation and pushed for a police investigation
.The case has sparked a wider discussion on the safety and transparency of organ transplants in Kenya. Medical experts acknowledge that while transplant medicine in the country has progressed, complications like clots, rejection, and infections are still a risk.
Many are now calling for stronger safeguards, clearer communication with patients, and independent oversight to ensure that such sensitive procedures are handled with full accountability.
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